


War?

by andonlythinkofme



Category: Walking Dead, Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-11
Updated: 2013-03-11
Packaged: 2017-12-05 00:52:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/716991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andonlythinkofme/pseuds/andonlythinkofme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“’Cause it ain’t gonna help. Governor wants revenge an’ he ain’t gonna stop till we all are dead.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	War?

**Author's Note:**

> Carol's thoughts and actions directly after Rick's announcement at the end of 3X13.

“War?” Carol whispered to herself. She sat on her bunk, fiddling with the knife Daryl had given to her so long ago. The thought soured her stomach. Killing Walkers, those mindless carcasses shuffling around with no other purpose than to eat, was easy. Carol could comfort herself with the thought that they were already dead, putting down the restless bodies was more a gift to the deceased than a sin. But killing people, living breathing people with emotions and thoughts and feelings who only wanted to survive as much as she does. Carol could not stomach that.

Standing from her stained mattress, Carol made her way to the common area. If Rick’s announcement had been made back at the quarry or the farm house, Dale would have stood up in protest like her had for Randall. Now there is only Carol. She found Herschel and Beth at the weapons table, looking over the guns again, making sure everything was fully stocked.

“Hey guys,” she said. They both looked up in greeting. Carol went to the opposite side of the table across from the two. On this side all the knives were lined up from smallest to largest. Beside the largest one, which to Carol resembled a butchers knife more than the machete Glenn claimed it to be, sat a stone that Rick and Daryl used to sharpen the blades. Carol pulled her own knife from her pants pocket and used the rock to sharpen the edge.

“What do you think, Carol?” Beth asked, looking down at the gun in her hand. Her tightened muscles obviously displayed her fear.

“About the war? I don’t like it at all. Putting everyone in danger like this,” a knot formed in her throat, constricting Carol’s speech for a few seconds, “it’s not right.”

Herschel checked the clip in one of the hand guns.

“What do you suppose we do?” He said. His face, haggard and tired and so much older than it had been when Carol first met him, looked at hers.

“I propose we leave!” Carol slammed the knife and stone back onto the metal table, the resulting clang echoed of the prison’s high ceilings. Carol had always felt bad for not saying anything during the Randall situation, she did not want that guilt on her head again.

“The prison had already been compromised.” She continued. “Walkers are all over the yard and the fence is busted in. We have weapons, we have food, let’s get the cars and go. There has to somewhere else.”

Carol was leaning forward, asking with her body language for their approval. Herschel nodded his head once.

“I agree. We would have to take precautions with Judith, but leaving would certainly prevent more death.”

Carol smiled brightly. Maybe this wouldn’t be like Randall. Maybe they could all come to a conclusion that ended with peace.

“That ain’t gonna work.” A rough voice entered the conversation. All three heads whipped around to see Merle ambling towards them, a cocky smirk fixed firmly on his rugged face. “That Governor needs to be taught a lesson. ‘S’a shame o’ ya’ll might die, but that’s the price o’ peace. He’s gotta go down.”

Beth glared at the man. Her anger twisting her face into something hard, mean. Carol could tell something had gone down with them, she just didn’t know what.

“You stay out of this, Merle.” Carol said, more in defense of Beth than anything else.

“Can’t, Sweetheart. When the Governor gets her I’mma be the first he comes after.”

Merle walked up to stand beside Carol. He lifted the knife up and, holding the stone down on the table with his stump, he began to strike the blade against the rock, sharpening the edge for Carol.

“We understand that, but we’ve lost too many people as it is. We can’t lose anymore. And I don’t know about you but killing people doesn’t sit right with us.” Beth spoke up.

“Ain’t no different than killin’ them geeks.” Merle retorted.

“It is too!” Beth shouted at him. Herschel quickly places a hand on his daughter’s shoulder, calming the girl marginally. Merle for his part looked impressed by the amount of volume Beth’s small body could produce.

“Oh, Sweetcheeks, ya’ just got pull the trigger. Ya’ kill geeks, ya’ kill people, an’ ya’ live. Survival o’ the fittest an’ all that.”

Instead of responding, Beth simply walked away. Something definitely happened between the two but now was not the time for Carol to help solve that.

“You’re not part of this decision, Merle.” Carol glared at the large man, well aware that he was far too close to her but unwilling to step away and show fear.

“Ain’t I? I’m on his shit list too, Sweetheart.”

“It doesn’t matter. Hit lists or no, we can leave here and start again somewhere else. This doesn’t have to happen.” Carol turned from Merle to face Herschel head on. “You should talk to Rick. He’ll take your advice. Tell him leaving is the best option. This ‘war’ notion is horrible and ultimately not worth it.”

Herschel considered her for a second before grasping his crutches which Carol had not noticed were leaning on the side of the table. Herschel had obviously gotten much better with his balance if he could stand so long without Beth for support.

“I’ll talk to him, but I don’t know if he’ll listen.”

“That’s all I ask, Herschel. Just give him the idea.”

“And while ya’re at it, tell him to sleep with one eye open. That Governor ain’t gonna wait long before comin’ here.” Merle threw in.

Herschel gave him a look Carol could not decipher. With the aid of his crutches, the old man hobbled out of the main black, leaving Merle and Carol together.

“Don’ take it personal, Sweetheart. We gotta look after our own.”

“I’m not one of yours.” Carol shot back. His lack or regard for human life irked her. How could he be so cold? He had to have some guilt over this.

“Ya’ an’ my bro seem to be friends. My bro is mine, ya’re his.”

Shock hit Carol hard. Of all the things that could possibly have come out of Merle’s mouth, that was not what she was expecting. It was wildly inappropriate to the situation at hand. Whatever was going on between her and Daryl didn’t matter when certain death was staring at them all.

“’S’a alright. I’m glad baby bro got someone.” Merle shrugged his huge shoulders.

“It’s…that had nothing to do with anything. I am not okay with killing people and if that can be avoided why shouldn’t we go with that option?”

“’Cause it ain’t gonna help. Governor wants revenge an’ he ain’t gonna stop till we all are dead.”

They entered into a staring contest, neither one willing to step back from their opinions. Merle slowly lifted the Carol’s knife up from the stone and held it out to her, eye contact unwavering.

“I’mma protect what’s mine.” His eyes were so similar to Daryl’s when he said that it made her flinch back. The two brothers really did look alike when examined closely and the same crinkling around the brows and squinting of the eyes Daryl did when he was determined Carol saw in Merle’s face. It scared her.

“I, um, this isn’t about us individually. It’s about lives. People killing people.” Carol snatched the knife, nearly cutting her own hand in the process.

“Don’ matter. Survival is survival, Sweetheart.” Merle left on that note, giving Carol no chance to reply.

She felt shaken by Merle, that he would consider her Daryl’s. It didn’t exactly unsettle her per se. Carol had a certain affection for the surly hunter. But this wasn’t the issue. Merle couldn’t be allowed to spread his own ideas around the prison. If everyone was going to be convinced of leaving than Herschel had to convince Rick and Carol had to convince everyone else. Carol shook her head to clear her thoughts. She refused to live with the deaths of others on her shoulder. She straightened up, standing at her full height. It was up to her to do what Dale could not, convince the others to preserve life, not take it away. 


End file.
